In Which Isidro Notes the Numbers

January 18, 1176

The kitchens were late serving supper, but maybe it wasn't too unreasonable to hope no one had noticed? Riona did, after all, make it difficult to focus on anything other than her--her dazzling eyes, her mischievous smile, her artfully-arranged red locks nearly back to their former length. Christ, she was stunning; here she was, beside him at the head table, so lively and present and real. He'd spent the past month or so fearing that it was all a dream and he'd wake to the sound of Bernardo's snores in the next room, but looking at her now... no. No, she couldn't have been anything short of truth. He was a grounded, downtrodden man; no illusion he could have dreamt could hold a candle to her.

She almost made him forget about everyone else in the room.

Almost.

With the smallest of the children in the care of their nurses, the remaining guests had filled three tables of fourteen seats apiece, and then there were six of them at the head table--forty-eight in total. Hardly a large number of wedding guests, but more than he'd ever expected at his wedding, if he'd ever expected to get married at all. And among them lords, barons, dukes... hell, the crown princess herself was here, seated between her father and brother near the far end of one of the tables. That was proving rather overwhelming--even if it was only Naroni.

"I take it they were all at your wedding too?" he muttered to Riona's brother on his lefthand side.

Uneasy, Jadin nodded. "Even more of them. God, I hate big weddings."

Beside him, his wife sniffed, a couple long brown curls bouncing as she tossed back her head. "I'd hardly call this 'big'."

"Still bigger than it needs to be." Cringing in distaste, Jadin shot a glance over at his younger brothers at another table, then turned back to Isidro. "If Lonriad ever finds a woman dumb enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him, I swear to God, I will pay them to elope."

A rather impractical idea for an investment, but at least it was original. Isidro opened his mouth to tell him to be careful about making oaths, but the duke beat him to the response with a hard glare. "Watch what you say about my sister."

"Relax, Lorn--my father will never finalize any arrangements without Lonriad's consent, so for all you know, I'm not talking about your sister at all."

Annoyed, the duke turned back around and took to tapping at the table until his wife steadied his hand. Across from her, Riona's uncle sighed. "Jadin, might I remind you on your mother's behalf that you're never too old for a cuff to the back of the head?"

"Is that why you never visit your mother, Uncle Ovrean?"

In-laws. Isidro rolled his eyes, then looked over at Riona, who had nothing but a shrug. To her right, her father grimaced. "Jadin, how many times must I tell you--only make fun of your uncles behind their backs."

"I would be behind his back if he was facing the right way."

"No, you'd be at his side, chowderhead," Riona groaned. "What's taking the cooks so long?"

She was probably craving beef again. A little awkward, Isidro reached over and squeezed her hand; her father patted her on the shoulder. "It won't be long now, I'm sure. It just takes a while to cook for so many people."

The numbers again--all these guests. All Riona's guests, more like. Not one of them was his.

Ah, but maybe that was for the best. Who could he have invited, after all? Aside from the cousins they'd crusades with, his father had alienated Isidro's aunt's family to the point of near-estrangement. It might have been nice to see Casimiro or even Bernardo, but they would have brought Augustin--and he would have found some way to make the whole damn thing all about him. And of course his father...

Well. It could have been worse. At least the guests seemed happy, and no one had brought along any stupid bullshit drama. Raia and Lady Valira had turned up wearing the same dress in two different colors--something that traditionally bothered more people than it should have--but they'd been able to laugh it off and compliment each other on good taste. Ditto for Vera and Riona's friend Hilla, who might have been a more pressing concern; if anything, though, Hilla seemed flattered to be seen in the same style of gown as a lord's own daughter. Most of the royal family had declined the invitation, but Lord Severin and Lady Nora and even Riona herself had assured him that this was a good thing. Princess Jeda had come, bringing Princesses Mona and Lily with her, and as far as everyone seemed to be concerned they were the best of them anyway.

The only thing was...

"Fa-ther!" Down at the children's table, Roddie's fist hit the table. "We're hungry!"

Most of the adults laughed. Lord Severin broke into a grimace while Lady Nora clasped her hand to her face and growled. Isidro shared a glance with Jadin, who made a face; Riona snickered. "Kid has a point. I could eat a hippo right now."

Jadin nodded in agreement. "I think I could eat two."

The doors on either side showed no sign of opening. A little concerned, Isidro strained for a view of the children's table. They did look a little anxious, a little impatient... well, except Roddie. Roddie just looked pleased with himself, in spite of--or perhaps partly because of--his obnoxious cry for food. That little stinker; seated there at one end of the table, probably the youngest kid there but with a choice seat by virtue of being the bride's brother. He was probably more eager to launch peas than he was to eat, and Isidro wasn't entirely sure he could blame him. Sitting through a whole wedding couldn't have been much fun for a five-year-old boy.

He supposed that would be Alya's seat in a few years, either Roddie's or Cuthron's across from him. Alya's seat, in Isidro's hall, the new baby across from her in what he hoped would be red-haired, blue-eyed glory. Maybe a Christmas or somebody's birthday. Their anniversary, perhaps--with Alya rolling her eyes at the vain attempts of her hopeless admirers and Squire Roddie lamenting how the occasion had been just as dull ten years prior.

Whatever the occasion, I just hope the food makes it to the hall on time!

"You seem quiet."

Mildly startled, Isidro eased himself to the back of the chair and met Riona's smile. Somehow, that hint of an overbite just made everything else seem irrelevant. "Just savoring the moment, I suppose."

Riona giggled. "You're so odd." Eyes twinkling like stars never could, she squeezed his hand and lifted it to the table. The gold band around her finger felt more like silk than the metal it was. "Oh well. I think I finally smell meat."

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